chev32 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Looks like Australia post are gearing up as we will be charged 10% GST plus a collection fee according to a reliable source within the post office on imported goods .the $1000 threshold will be reduced to just $20 when the federal budget is announced .The GST will be levied on the total invoice amount including postage + 4% .Good news for local retailers ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinOz Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Well I haven't seen the figures yet so should be interesting. What has been floated so far doesn't sound like the extent you are suggesting. Anyway, they can say anything they like but it still has to be approved by the Senate and we know how that went last year. As well they still have to get WA to agree to the changes. So may take a little while to implement changes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Gosh, so now my online purchases will cost a whopping 60% of the price from local retailers, not 50% as they do currently. I'm heartbroken. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted May 11, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 11, 2015 Very much a case of wait and see. Both what is announced and what is eventually passed. An increased price to the consumer of 10-14% will still make most imported goods far cheaper than they can be sourced locally. Not just model railway items either. Personally if an identical or closely similar item can be produced locally then I have no objection to paying a premium if I choose to buy overseas. But for items which cannot be bought "Australian Made" - which includes all British, US and European outline rolling stock and a good deal more besides - there should be a consideration in respect of that. The only harm it may do is to Australian retailers who are already forced to charge way over what is a fair and reasonable price to stock those items because of punitive business import charges. If that regime were addressed instead of bolting the door after the online sales horse has bolted then perhaps we might see a little more reason to shelf prices. I simply refuse to pay $500 (around £280) for a locomotive which I can obtain via import often for less than half that amount. If I am forced to pay GST and a collection fee that will not change my buying habits as it will still cost me very much less. Fees can sometimes also be avoided by using commercial carriers rather than the national postal services which point might be worth remembering in future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 You might have to get a paper round to supplement your modelling activities now then ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 I think 10% doesn't really make much difference to the economics of buying overseas. But I do wonder if the point of the exercise would be for the GST payment process to make mail order from OS slower and more inconvenient. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR Man Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi all surely the figure quoted of $20 does not make sense as it would be uneconomic to collect on that amount knowing the cost of employing someone to raise the paperwork and then to enter all the details . I would think it will be more like $100-250 , hopefully as the prices charged here are unbelievable for British Outline.Someone's making a nice profit and I don't think its the Retailers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted May 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2015 Haven't found anything as yet in the budget speech or reporting as regards the imported goods regulations. Only GST to apply to "online services" in 2017 which in effect taxes our downloads and is easily, if not perhaps lawfully, avoided for many by using non-mainstream sites for their entertainment downloads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougN Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Gwiwer you are right I think the issue of GST will be debated for years. The idea of a 10% on cost is not going to be levied on anything under about 500 as the cost of collection would exceed by a considerable amount the amount returned to the federal government coffers. Aussie post is now such a contracted out affair the costs to the holders of the Aussie post out lets would be cried down. I spoke many years ago to a operator and they said the cost of sell stamps exceeded the value but they still had to do it.! So I would guess a base rate would have to be above $200 as $10 would go to the LPO the rest into the organisation... It just means we still need to use it now or loose it in the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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